Apple popularized the display notch in 2017’s iPhone X, but a rumor claims that the feature is on the chopping block just a few years later.
The iPhone X notch generated a wide range of reactions. Some said it was needed to provide users with more real estate on their smartphone screens, while some said that it was just not aesthetically pleasing, resulting in apps that are meant to hide the notch.
No matter your stance on the matter, there is a possibility that Apple itself will end the debate. Benjamin Geskin, who creates renders for upcoming smartphones, claimed that the notch may be going away in at least one model of the 2020 iPhone lineup.
Exclusive: One of the 2020 iPhone prototypes has 6.7-inch display with Face ID and TrueDepth camera system housed in the top bezel. pic.twitter.com/sAJE7J12ty
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) September 26, 2019
Geskin tweeted that one of the prototypes for the iPhone 12, or whatever the device ends up being called, will ditch the notch. Apple will move the Face ID and TrueDepth camera systems to what would be a very crowded, narrow top bezel of the smartphone, alongside other components such as the speaker and microphone.
Geskin’s tweet follows a research note released in July by acclaimed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed that Apple was looking to add more display real estate to the iPhone by reducing the size of the front camera. A Credit Suisse analyst also raised the possibility that Apple will remove the notch as early as 2020, though with the prediction that Face ID will also be on the way out.
Kuo also believes that Apple will replace the 6.5-inch OLED display on the iPhone 11 Pro Max with a larger 6.7-inch screen next year, so Geskin is likely referring to the iPhone 12 Pro Max in his tweet.
The rumor of the removal of the notch, however, already has a formidable opponent in Steve Hemmerstoffer, who leaked the design of the iPhone 11 Pro several months before the device’s official announcement.
Pathetic attempt to get some attention…
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 26, 2019
The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max were just recently announced, but the rumor mill is already churning with tidbits on future iPhones. A new patent also revealed that the Apple logo at the back of the smartphone may be upgraded to function as a notification light.